Jury Finds Dominic Badaracco Of Sherman Guilty Of Bribery

BRIDGEPORT — — After deliberating three hours Friday, a jury found a Sherman man long suspected in the 1984 disappearance and presumed death of his second wife guilty of bribery.

Dominic Badaracco showed no reaction when the verdict of the jury of four men and two women was announced.

But Mary Badaracco's daughter, Beth Profeta, who has been waiting for justice in her mother's case for decades, was celebrating.

"As soon as we heard the handcuffs were on, clinking, we were clinking our champagne glasses," she said.

Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin increased Badaracco's bail from $150,000 to $500,000 and scheduled sentencing for Sept. 6. Badaracco, 77, who could face up to 10 years in prison, was taken away in handcuffs.

In his closing argument Friday, prosecutor Leonard Boyle said the proof that Badaracco tried to bribe a judge to influence a grand jury investigating the disappearance of Mary Badaracco lay in the testimony of that judge — and a recorded conversation the judge later had with his close friend, Badaracco's former business partner.

The judge, Robert Brunetti, earlier testified that Badaracco called him and asked for help with the grand jury in 2010. Badaracco was a target of the grand jury's probe.

After the verdict, defense attorney Richard Meehan said that he would file a motion to set aside the verdict and that Badaracco would be released on bond.

"Obviously we're disappointed in the verdict," Meehan said. But, he added, given the nature of the crime — and the jury's finding that someone tried to influence a sitting judge — "I expect there's going to be prison time."

Badaracco's current wife, Joan, her two daughters and another family member left the courtroom to meet with a bail bondsman. They declined to comment. Jurors also declined to comment.

In his closing argument, Boyle reminded jurors that Brunetti later reported the conversation with Badaracco to authorities, who wired the judge before he called his good friend, Ronald Richter, Badaracco's former business partner. Badaracco had used Richter's cellphone when he tried to bribe the judge.

A key to that conversation, Boyle told jurors, was Richter's response to Brunetti's cursing complaints that Badaracco had offered him money.

Boyle pointed out that a transcript shows that Richter responded, "He, he wanted me to do that last week. He wanted me to do it. He said, 'I gotta give Brunes something.' So, I uh, I told him I wouldn't call you. ..."

Meehan argued that Brunetti made several mistakes in recalling facts in the case, including dates. He also told the jury it was possible Brunetti misinterpreted what Badaracco had said.

He noted that Badaracco suspected it could cost him $100,000 to pay for a defense lawyer should he be indicted by the grand jury in the disappearance of Mary Badaracco. He was never charged.

"Was Dominic doing more than just lamenting it's going to cost him 100 G's?" Meehan asked in his closing argument.

Profeta said she was headed to the courthouse from her Torrington home when she was notified that people were saying on Twitter that Badaracco had been convicted and cuffed.

"I just turned around and bought some champagne," she said.

She said she thought Badaracco should be held without bail, fearing he might flee before his sentencing, which she plans to attend.

"I want the max," she said.

She won't be able to make a victim impact statement because from what she understands the state is the victim in the bribery case. Badaracco has long been a suspect in the disappearance of Mary Badaracco, who has been declared dead, but he has never been charged and maintains his innocence.

No one has been held accountable for her mother's murder, Profeta said, but the bribery conviction of Badaracco will do for now.

"We'll take it," Profeta said. But she still hopes her mother's case will be solved.

"I'm hoping this is only the beginning of the charges to come against [Badaracco]," Profeta said.

She thanked state police Det. Joseph Bukowski, who worked doggedly on the missing person case, which Profeta said helped the bribery case.

In their closing, prosecutors also argued that:

•Richter started asking Brunetti about the grand jury right after Badaracco learned of the secret panel because his stepdaughter had been subpoenaed to testify before it.

•Brunetti later confirmed the existence of a grand jury to Richter — before the alleged bribe was made.

•Badaracco and Brunetti hadn't spoken in about five years before Badaracco called and bribed him.

•Badaracco had access to more than $900,000 — and transferred about $185,000 from retirement accounts to a checking account shortly before the conversation with Brunetti.